By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. Galatians 5:22-23
“He showed me again a number of trees, some of them budding, others withered. And he said to me, “Do you see these trees?” “I see them, Lord,” I replied. “Some of them are budding and others withered.”
“These trees that are budding,” he said, “are the upright who are about to dwell in the age that is coming. For the coming age is a summer for the upright, but a winter for sinners. And so, when the mercy of the Lord shines forth, those who serve as slaves to God will stand out clearly, and everyone will be able to recognize them.
For just as the fruits of each individual tree appear in the summer and their species are recognized, so too the fruits of the upright will appear, and they will all be known in that age because they will be blossoming.
But the outsiders and sinners — who are the withered trees you saw — will be found withered and fruitless in that age, and they will be burned like withered trees and shown for what they are.”
The Shepherd of Hermas 53. 1-4, Parable IV (c. A.D. 70-140) as reported by Bart Ehrman in Lost Scriptures: Books That Did Not Make It Into The New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003) 271-272.
This parable reminds me of the coming judgment for all of us.
But it’s a glimpse of the present looking ahead to that time. In the parable, some trees are budding and blossoming. Others are withered. This begs the question for all of us.
Is there budding, blossoming, and fruit on my tree today?
Only you can answer this. And remember the key to producing the fruit of the Spirit: we must stay connected to the vine of Jesus, put the flesh to death daily, and keep in step with the Spirit.
Father bear fruit in our lives, especially generosity, I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.